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Shawn Levy

A filmmaker of youthful vigor and a penchant for lightweight, family-friendly comedies, Shawn Levy made a comfortable transition into features following success on television with efforts for The Disn...
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  • News, March 3: Britney Spears on Fred Durst, Madonna Pens Children's Books, Anthony Hopkins Weds and More…
    By: Guylaine Cadorette March 04, 2003 1:42pm EST
    Top Story: Britney Spears Responds to Fred Durst's Comments Semi-retired pop princess Britney Spears, whom Glamour magazine named woman of the year, has shed some light on her alleged relationship with Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. According to People.com, British Glamour asked Spears if she and Durst really had a thing for each other. "I think him for me, but not me for him." Spears added that she was ticked off at Durst's claims on The Howard Stern Show that she tried to seduce him by arriving at his Los Angeles studio in a see-through blouse. In other Britney news, The Associated Press reports a lawyer for the singer's alleged stalker, 41-year-old Masahiko Shizawa of Yokohama, Japan, argued in Los Angeles Superior Court Friday that his client is simply "an avid fan" and his actions were misinterpreted by the pop star. Spears is seeking a restraining order against Shizawa, claiming he sent her hundreds of love letters and photographs and tracked her to her homes in Louisiana and Hollywood. Madonna Goes From "Sex" to Children's Books Madonna has signed a publishing deal with Penguin to write five children's books, Reuters reports. Her first book, The English Roses, based on the adventures of a red fox and a little prince, will be published in September. Penguin did not reveal how much it was paying Madonna to write the books, which will feature illustrations by a well-known artist. Aimed at children aged six and over, the books are a stark contrast to Madonna's previous publishing effort. In the early 1990s, her book Sex featured the pop star and her celebrity friends, including Naomi Campbell, Vanilla Ice and Isabella Rossellini, in various stages of undress. P. Diddy Expands Restaurant Chain Hip-hop entrepreneur Sean "P. Diddy" Combs plans to open a third Justin's restaurant in four to eight months in downtown Detroit, the AP reports. The original Justin's--named after Combs's oldest son--is in New York with a second location in Atlanta. The restaurants offer soul and Caribbean food. The Clash Will Not Perform at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction The Clash bassist Paul Simonon said the surviving members of the band will not perform when they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this month. Lead singer Joe Strummer died of a heart attack in December and had mentioned performing just before he died. But Simonon said he never got the chance to reply and was actually opposed to the idea. According to Reuters, Simonon told British Broadcasting Corp. radio he thought it would be better for the Clash to play in front of their public audience rather than "a seated and booted (crowd)." The Clash, one of the most influential bands to emerge from the British punk movement of the 1970s, split up in the mid-1980s and never reformed. Anthony Hopkins Weds Again Anthony Hopkins, best known as Hannibal "the Cannibal" Lecter, married antiques dealer Stella Arroyave in a private ceremony, Reuters reports. Hopkins, 65, and Arroyave, 46, tied the knot Saturday in a ceremony in Malibu attended by friends and family. The two had been dating for about two years. This is the actor's third marriage. "The Twist" Songwriter Dies Hank Ballard, the singer and songwriter whose hit "The Twist" ushered a nationwide dance craze in the 1960s, died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, the AP reports. Ballard had been suffering from throat cancer. In 1958, Ballard wrote and recorded "The Twist," which was only released on the "B" side of a record. Chubby Checker debuted his own version of "The Twist" on Dick Clark's television show one year later. The song topped the charts and launched a dance craze. Ballard was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Role Call: Bonnie Hunt; Johnny Knoxville; "Lupin the Third" Writer-director-actress Bonnie Hunt will appear on the big screen alongside Steve Martin in 20th Century Fox's remake of Cheaper by the Dozen for director Shawn Levy. Hunt and Martin are the first two actor deals to close on the project, with production scheduled to begin March 31. Jackass mastermind Johnny Knoxville, meanwhile, has joined the cast of Hating Her, a $10 million comedy that starts production next month. Selma Blair, Bridget Moynahan, Donald Sutherland, Maura Tierney, Blythe Danner and Logan Marshall-Green are already set to star in the project for helmer Thomas Bezucha. Finally, master thief Lupin the Third, a 1960s Japanese comic book anti-hero, will soon make his Hollywood debut. Gerald R. Molen, producer of the Oscar-winning Schindler's List, has acquired the movie rights to the work.
  • Box Office Analysis: Feb. 2
    By: Kit Bowen February 02, 2003 12:37pm EST
    After last weekend's Super Bowl madness, audiences were in the mood for a different kind of game--be it mind games or the challenge of cheating death--as the top three box office spots were dominated by new releases. The new spy drama The Recruit took top honors with a decent $16.5 million*, while second place holder Final Destination 2 nearly caught up to The Recruit with $16.2 million. The third spot belonged to Biker Boyz with a slim $10.1 million. Pushed down to the number four and five spots were last weekend's winners Kangaroo Jack at $9 million and Darkness Falls with $7.5 million. THE TOP TEN This weekend's box office topper, Buena Vista's PG-13 The Recruit, opened with an ESTIMATED $16.5 million at 2,376 theaters ($6,944 per theater). Directed by Roger Donaldson, it stars Colin Farrell, Al Pacino, Bridget Moynahan and Gabriel Macht. The film revolves around a brilliant college graduate (Farrell) who is recruited by a CIA veteran (Pacino), sent to The Farm--the Agency's treacherous, mind-boggling training program--and programmed to be one of the spy elite. "Al Pacino always delivers a great performance, and when you put him with Colin Farrell, the combination just whetted the appetite of the public on all sides," Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney, told the Associated Press. Ever wonder how you could cheat death? New Line Cinema's R-rated Final Destination 2 gave us a few hints, as it opened at No. 2 with an ESTIMATED $16.2 million at 2,834 theaters ($5,716 per theater), just barely missing the top mark. Directed by David R. Ellis, it stars A.J. Cook, Ali Larter and Michael Landes. The sequel to the 2000 horror hit Final Destination further explores the possibility of escaping the vindictive Death, as a girl, with a premonition of a horrific car pileup on a highway, saves her friends from that particular fate, only to see them picked off one by one in other, more gruesome ways. AP reports Final Destination 2 easily out-grossed its predecessor, which opened with $10 million. Russell Schwartz, president of domestic marketing for New Line, told AP he expects the sequel to at least match the $53 million total gross of the original Final Destination. Coming in the third spot, DreamWorks' PG-13 Biker Boyz opened with an ESTIMATED $10.1 million at 1,766 theaters ($5,719 per theater). Directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood, it stars Laurence Fishburne, Derek Luke, Orlando Jones, Kid Rock and Lisa Bonet. The film follows the lives of lawyers and city workers who take to the streets by night in their leather gear to race in the world of underground motorcycle clubs. Amazingly, Warner Bros. PG-rated Kangaroo Jack slipped only two notches to the No. 4 spot with an ESTIMATED $9 million (-22%) at 2,848 theaters ($3,172 per theater), even beating last weekend's top winner Darkness Falls. Its cume is approximately $45.8 million. Crikey! Directed by David McNally, the silly comedy about a kangaroo who inadvertently makes off with some mob money into the wilds of the Australian Outback stars Jerry O'Connell, Anthony Anderson and Estella Warren. Sony Pictures' PG-13 Darkness Falls certainly toppled from its top perch to claim fifth place with an ESTIMATED $7.5 million (-38%) at 2,865 theaters (+28 theaters; $2,618 per theater). Its total haul is approximately $22.2 million. Pic revolves around a young man who, having escaped the Tooth Fairy's unrelentingly evil clutches as a boy, must return to save his hometown from the curse which has plagued it. This weekend, however, cheating death is apparently more exciting than cheating the Tooth Fairy. Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, it stars Chaney Kley, Emma Caulfield and Lee Cormie. *Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc. Miramax Films' PG-13 Chicago lost a little of its jazz, dipping from third place to sixth with an ESTIMATED $7.1 million (-13%) at 623 theaters (+7 theaters; $11,461 per theater). Yet, if Miramax opens this musical extravaganza wide, you may see the Oscar-touted film shoot back up the charts. Chicago's cume is $50.7 million. Directed by Rob Marshall, it stars Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere. The box office charts wouldn't be complete without a few Hobbits. New Line's PG-13 smash The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers still held power in its seventh week, slipping two spots to No. 7 with an ESTIMATED $5 million (-24%) at 2,175 theaters (-491 theaters; $2,299 per theater). But here's the real kicker--its total box office grosses to date is now approximately $315.9 million. Not too shabby. Directed by Peter Jackson, it stars Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom and Viggo Mortensen. 20th Century Fox's PG-13 Just Married fell one spot to take eighth place with an ESTIMATED $4.9 million (-24%) at 2,408 theaters (-297 theaters; $2,035 per theater). The tale about a honeymoon from hell has gained a respectable $49.8 million so far. Directed by Shawn Levy, it stars Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy. Ninth place belonged to DreamWorks PG-13 Catch Me If You Can with an ESTIMATED $4.8 million (-26%) at 2,316 theaters (-460 theaters; $2,073 per theater). Its cume is approximately $151.9 million. The biopic about con artist Frank Abagnale Jr. is directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks and Christopher Walken. New Line's R-rated About Schmidt dropped one spot to tenth, rounding out the list with an ESTIMATED $4.7 million (-13%) at 1,236 theaters ($3,803 per theater). The classic slice of Americana has gathered a noteworthy $44.3 million to date with only limited release. Imagine what it could do if it goes wide. Directed by Alexander Payne, it stars Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney and Kathy Bates. OTHER OPENINGS Universal Pictures' R-rated The Guru opened in limited theaters with an ESTIMATED $648,000 at 62 theaters ($10,452 per theater). The comedy is about an Indian man who comes to seek his fame and fortune in America but winds up becoming the next "It" guru, spouting sexual advice to New York's lonely elite. Directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer, the films stars Jimi Mistry, Heather Graham and Marisa Tomei. WEEKEND COMPARISON Overall, the box office numbers for the top 12 films jumped 18 percent from last weekend's dismal $79.9 million, with a total haul of $94.6 million. "This was a really strong weekend for a January, which is usually kind of slow," Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations told AP. "To have two films over $16 million is not bad at all." This weekend also saw a 20 percent increase from the same weekend last year, which took in only $78.5 million. Last year, Sony's R-rated Black Hawk Down dominated the box office in its sixth week with $11.1 million at 3,143 theaters ($3,536 per theater); Buena Vistas' G-rated Snow Dogs was second in its third week of release with $10.1 million at 2,454 theaters ($4,156 per theater); and Warner Bros.' PG-13 teen drama A Walk to Remember held the third spot in its second week with $8.8 million at 2,420 theaters ($3,651 per theater).
  • Box Office Analysis: Jan. 26
    By: Guylaine Cadorette January 27, 2003 5:58am EST
    Boo! Moviegoers aching for a good horror pic propelled Darkness Falls from obscurity to the top of the box office this weekend, knocking last week's victor, Jerry Bruckheimer's Down Under comedy Kangaroo Jack, to second place. While the expansion of Chicago hit a high box office note, the biopic Confessions of a Dangerous Mind proved more of a disappointment. Darkness Falls, about a small town haunted by a killer Tooth Fairy, took in a not so menacing $12.5 million*. The film profited from being the only new wide release to hit theaters this week. Kangaroo Jack, now in its second week, bounded behind with $11.9 million. Hot on the heels of its Golden Globe award for best motion picture for a musical or comedy, the crime musical Chicago came in third with $8.4 million. Apparently, everyone really does loves a legend. Audiences, however, weren't clamoring to see Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. The Chuck Barris biopic landed in eighth place with $6 million. The Hours, meanwhile, continued its limited run but still managed to round out the Top 10 with $4 million. The small screen apparently gave theatrical releases a run for their money this week, as moviegoers opted to stay home and watch the Super Bowl instead, causing box office dollars to decline. THE TOP TEN Sony Picture's PG-13-rated Darkness Falls opened with an ESTIMATED $12.5 million at 2,837 theaters ($4,406 per theater). Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, it stars Chaney Kley, Emma Caulfield and Lee Cormie. The horror flick revolves around a young boy who claims to have awakened from a sound sleep to see the Tooth Fairy trying to kill him. Years later he returns to confront his troubled past and save his hometown from an unrelenting evil that has plagued it for over a century. Last week's box office champ, Warner Bros.' PG-rated Kangaroo Jack, was bumped to second place in its second week. The comedy took in an ESTIMATED $11.9 million (-28%) at 2,848 theaters (+30 theaters; $4,189 per theater). Its cume is approximately $35.4 million. Directed by David McNally, it stars Jerry O'Connell, Anthony Anderson and Estella Warren. In its first week of wide expansion, Miramax's PG-13-rated Chicago climbed three notches to third place with an ESTIMATED $8.4 million (+11%) at 616 theaters (+59 theaters; $13, 721 per theater). The musical comedy had the highest per theater average of any film this week. Its cume is approximately $40.5 million. Directed by Rob Marshall, it stars Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere. The honeymoon is far from over for 20th Century Fox's Just Married. In its third week of release the PG-13 comedy fell one rung to fourth place with an ESTIMATED $7.4 million (-37%) at 2,706 theaters (-63 theaters; $2,761 per theater). Its cume is approximately $44.3 million. Directed by Shawn Levy, it stars Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy. *Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc. Sony Pictures' National Security fell three notches in its second week, bagging an ESTIMATED $7.4 million (-49%)--a steep drop from last week. The PG-13-rated comedy played across 2,729 screen (unchanged from last week) with a $2,712 per theater average. Its cume is approximately $26.1 million. Directed by Dennis Dugan, it stars Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn. New Line Cinema's PG-13 fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers slid from fifth to sixth place in its sixth week, with a very real $6.9 million (-33%) at 2,666 theaters (-444 theaters; $2,588 per theater). Its cume is approximately $309.1 million. Directed by Peter Jackson, it stars Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom and Viggo Mortensen. DreamWorks' PG-13 crime biopic Catch Me If You Can fell three places to seventh in its fifth week of release with an ESTIMATED $6.6 million (-38%) at 2,776 theaters (-274 theaters; $2,376 per theater). Its cume is approximately $145.1 million. Directed by Steven Spielberg, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken and Martin Sheen. In its first week of wide expansion, Miramax's R-rated Confessions of a Dangerous Mind netted an ESTIMATED $6 million at 1,769 theaters (+1,764 theaters; $3,393 per theater). Its cume is approximately $6.5 million. Dirceted by George Clooney, it stars Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts and Clooney. New Line Cinema's R-rated dark comedy About Schmidt fell a notch to ninth place in its seventh week of release with an ESTIMATED $5.6 million (-3%) at 1,236 theaters (+290 theaters, $4,470 thaeters). Its cume is approximately $37.8 million. Directed by Alexander Payne, it stars Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney and Kathy Bates. Rounding out the Top 10 was Paramount Picture's The Hours. The PG-13 drama dropped a peg in its fifth week of release with an ESTIMATED $4 million (-14%) at 502 theaters (+100 theaters; $7,968 per theater). Its cume is approximately $13.9 million. Directed by Stephen Daldry, it stars Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Ed Harris and Claire Danes. WEEKEND COMPARISONS This weekend, the top 12 films grossed an ESTIMATED $82.9 million, down 16.67 percent from last weekend, when they took in $99.5 million. The decrease may be a result of moviegoers staying home for the Super Bowl, which came a weekend later last year. The top 12 were also down 24.74 percent from last year, when they grossed $10.2 million. Last year, Sony's R-rated Black Hawk Down dominated the box office in its fifth week with $17 million at 3,101 theaters ($5,486 per theater); Buena Vistas' G-rated Snow Dogs was second in its second week of release with $13 million at 2,440 theaters ($5,360 per theater); and Warner Bros.' PG-13 teen drama A Walk to Remember debuted in third with $12.1 million at 2,411 theaters ($5,051 per theater).
  • Box Office Analysis: Jan. 19
    By: Guylaine Cadorette January 19, 2003 12:14pm EST
    Good-on-ya mates! Of the three new releases to open wide this four-day holiday weekend, Jerry Bruckheimer's down under comedy Kangaroo Jack leaped to the top of the box office, followed closely by the Martin Lawrence vehicle National Security. There was nothing fanciful, however, about the romantic comedy A Guy Thing, which opened to an uninspiring seventh place. Kangaroo Jack, about two Brooklynites who are forced to deliver mob money to Australia but lose the loot to a maniacal marsupial, took in $17.6 million*, while National Security safeguarded $15.7 million. In its second week, Just Married, which captured audience's hearts and the No. 1 spot last week, fell to third place with a still chivalrous $12.4 million. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers came in fourth with $11.3 million, while Catch Me If You Can almost caught up with $11.3 million, trailing only by $75,000. The much talked about musical Chicago, which expanded to 557 screens this weekend, came in sixth with $8 million. A Guy Thing 's mushy $7.1 million take, meanwhile, coldheartedly placed the romance in seventh place. Two of Miramax's limited releases, the Brazilian drama City of God and George Clooney's directorial debut Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, played in five theaters each, and both enjoyed this week's highest per theater averages. City of God averaged $18,000 per theater, while Confessions averaged $16,400. THE TOP TEN (NOTE: Today's projections are for the three-day period from Friday-Sunday. The studios will issue four-day estimates on Monday, when America observes the birthday of Martin Luther King, with final data due out on Tuesday.) Warner Bros.' Kangaroo Jack opened with an ESTIMATED $17.6 million at 2,818 theaters ($6,272 per theater). Directed by David McNally, it stars Jerry O'Connell, Anthony Anderson and Estella Warren. The PG rated film, written by Elizabeth Hurley impregnator Steve Bing, focuses on two Brooklynites who are forced to deliver $50,000 in cash to a mobster living in Australian. But a kangaroo with a plan of his own gets hold of the dough, forcing the two to track him across the outback. Sony Pictures' PG-13 rated action comedy National Security came in second with an ESTIMATED $15.7 million take at 2,729 theaters. Directed by Dennis Dugan, it stars Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn. The buddy actioner revolves around two L.A.P.D. rejects who are partnered as security guards and end up uncovering a sophisticated smuggling operation led by crooked cops. Twentieth Century Fox's PG-13 rated romantic comedy Just Married honeymooned in third place with an ESTIMATED $12.4 million (-29%) at 2,729 theaters (+3 theaters, $4,496 per theater). Its cume is approximately $34 million. Directed by Shawn Levy, it stars Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy. New Line Cinema's PG-13 rated fantasy sequel The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers dropped to fourth place in its fifth week, with an ESTIMATED $11.3 million (-23%) at 3,110 theaters (-367 theaters; $3,658 per theater). Its cume is approximately $298.9 million, heading for $300 million in domestic theaters. Directed by Peter Jackson, it stars Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom and Viggo Mortensen. DreamWork's PG-13 rated crime biopic Catch Me If You Can fell two rungs to fifth place in its fourth week with an ESTIMATED $11.3 million (-23%) at 3,050 theaters (-175 theaters; $3,705 per theater). Its cume is approximately $135 million. Directed by Steven Spielberg, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken and Martin Sheen. *Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc. Miramax's PG-13 rated musical Chicago expanded in its fourth week to a solid ESTIMATED $8 million at 557 theaters (+195 theaters). Its $14,363 per theater was the highest of any Top 10 film this weekend. Its cume is approximately $27.7 million. Directed by Rob Marshall, it stars Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere. MGM's PG-13 rated romantic comedy A Guy Thing opened in seventh place with an ESTIMATED $7.1 million at 2,515 theaters ($2,828 per theater). In the film, a groom-to-be wakes up with a beautiful stranger in his bed after his bachelor party and, not remembering what happened, proceeds to try to cover up the evil deed he can imagine himself having done. Directed by Chris Koch, it stars Jason Lee, Julia Stiles, Selma Blair and James Brolin. New Line Cinema's R rated comedy About Schmidt slipped to eighth place in its sixth week with an ESTIMATED $6.6 million (-2%) at 946 theaters (+81 theaters; $6,633 per theater). Its cume is approximately $30.1 million. Directed by Alexander Payne, it stars Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney and Kathy Bates. Paramount Picture's PG-13 rated The Hours climbed to the ninth spot this week with an ESTIMATED $4.7 million (+421%) at 402 theaters (+357 theaters, $11,754 per theater). Its cume is approximately $7.4 million. Directed by Stephen Daldry, it stars Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Ed Harris and Claire Danes. Rounding out the Top 10 was Warner Bros.' PG-13 rated romantic comedy Two Weeks Notice, which dropped six slots with an ESTIMATED $4.1 million (-40%) at 2,240 theaters (-515 theaters; $1,830 per theater). Its cume is approximately $85 million. Directed by Marc D. Lawrence, it stars Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant. OTHER OPENINGS This weekend also saw the arrival of Miramax's R rated Brazilian drama City of God. The film opened with an ESTIMATED $90,000 at in five theaters, with a stunning $18,000 per theater average, the highest average of any film this week. The film revolves around Cidade de Deus (City of God), a housing project built in the 1960s that--in the early 80s--became one of the most dangerous places in Rio de Janeiro. Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund, it stars Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino De Hora Phellipe, Seu Jorge and Jonathan Haagensen. Miramax's other limited-release film, the R-rated biopic Confessions of a Dangerous Mind pushed back its wide release until next week, settling over the holiday weekend for an ESTIMATED $82,000 at five theaters ($16,400 per theater). Dirceted by George Clooney, it stars Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts and Clooney. WEEKEND COMPARISON The top 12 films this weekend grossed an ESTIMATED $105.9 million, down 2.64 percent from last weekend when they totaled $108.7 million. The top 12 were up a measly 0.668 percent from last year when they totaled $105.1 million. Last year, Sony's R rated Black Hawk Down dominated the box office in its fourth week with $28.6 million at 3,101 theaters ($10,844 per theater); Buena Vistas' opening week of Snow Dogs was second with $17.8 million at 2,302 theaters ($10,299 per theater); and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring came in third in its fifth week with $15.28 million at 3,266 theaters ($4,675 per theater).
  • Box Office Analysis: Jan. 12
    By: Kit Bowen January 12, 2003 5:18pm EST
    Apparently movie audiences have grown tired of fantastical creatures and epic battles and are finally in the mood for a little screwball romantic comedy. The wacky new release Just Married took over first place with a small but significant $18 million,* ending The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' three-week run as top dog. Coming in second, The Two Towers took in $14.9 million. Third place Catch Me If You Can almost caught up to The Two Towers with $14.8, while Two Weeks Notice took a dive to fourth place with a measly $6.7 million. Making it to the charts this weekend were two Oscar-touted films which had their first wide releases--the biopic Antwone Fisher which came in at No. 9 with $3.8 million and the dark comedy Adaptation which took the 10th spot with $2.9 million. Overall, however, the box office has slowed down considerably since the December onslaught of films, with the grosses for key films (top 12 grossers) dropping 18 percent from last weekend to only $88.5 million. THE TOP TEN 20th Century Fox's newest release the PG-13 rated Just Married captured the top spot with an ESTIMATED $18 million at 2,764 theaters ($6,512 per theater). Generally panned by the critics, the light-hearted film about two mismatched newlyweds who go on an horrific honeymoon in Italy certainly appealed to a younger generation, with 65 percent of its audiences under 21, according to the Associated Press. Just Married broke even this weekend. recouping the cost of its production. "I can't say too often I've actually grossed the budget on opening weekend," Bruce Snyder, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox told AP. Directed by Shawn Levy, the film stars Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy. Slipping into second place, New Line Cinema's PG-13 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers stepped off its throne with an ESTIMATED $14.9 million (-40%) at 3,477 theaters (-145 theaters; $4,300 per theater). Don't feel too sorry for Frodo and his crew, though. The film has still managed to take in approximately $283.6 million thus far. Nice pocket change. Directed by Peter Jackson, The Two Towers stars Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom and Liv Tyler. Coming in just barely under The Two Towers, DreamWorks' PG-13 Catch Me If You Can was pushed down to the third spot with an ESTIMATED $14.8 million (-30%) at 3,225 theaters (+55 theaters; $4,589 per theater). The con-man story has made approximately $119.5 million, which makes Catch Me the 23rd film released last year to gross over $100 million. That makes 2002 a record year for films grossing over the $100 million mark. Directed by Steven Spielberg Catch Me stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks and Christopher Walken. With box office numbers dropping off dramatically, Warner Bros. PG-13 Two Weeks Notice took fourth place, eking out an ESTIMATED $6.7 million (-40%) at 2,755 theaters ($2,432 per theater). The romantic comedy about a lawyer, her demanding boss and their growing attraction to one another has earned approximately $78.8 million so far. Directed by Marc D. Lawrence, it stars Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant. New Line's R-rated About Schmidt determinedly holds on to the No. 5 spot with an ESTIMATED $6.2 million (-27%) at 865 theaters (+49 theaters; $7,225 per theater). Continuing its expansion, the quirky comedy about a retiree making a life-altering cross-country journey has taken in approximately $21.4 million in total. Directed and co-written by Alexander Payne, it stars Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates, Hope Davis and Dermot Mulroney. Miramax's PG-13 Chicago sang and danced its way up three spots to sixth place, taking in an ESTIMATED $5.6 million (+13%) at 362 theaters (+58 theaters; $15,470 per theater). The film's cume is approximately $17 million, but it's still awaiting its first wide release Jan. 24. Directed by Rob Marshall, the film about sex and murder during the roaring 1920s in Chicago stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger and Richard Gere. While its competition remains high on the list, Sony Pictures' PG-13 romantic comedy Maid in Manhattan dropped from fourth to seventh place with an ESTIMATED $5 million (-42%) at 2,926 theaters (-124 theaters; $1,709 per theater). After five weeks in theaters, the film has taken in approximately $83.7 million. Directed by Wayne Wang, the film about a hotel maid and her Prince Charming stars Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes. Tying with Maid in Manhattan was Miramax's R-rated Gangs of New York, also with an ESTIMATED $5 million (-32%), at 2,340 theaters (+35 theaters; $2,137 per theater). Audiences don't seem to be flocking to a history lesson about the mean streets of 1860s New York, however. So far, Gangs has only reached around $55 million, though it may pick up if it wins any Golden Globes. Directed by Martin Scorsese, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and Daniel Day-Lewis. Making its first wide release, Fox Searchlight's PG-13 Antwone Fisher garnered a solid ninth place with an ESTIMATED $3.8 million (+161%) at 1,006 theaters (+814 theaters; $3,777 per theater). The biopic is about a Navy man whose childhood traumas cause him to rebel, but eventually, with the help of his friendly psychiatrist, he searches out his family to mend the wounds. Released in limited theaters Dec. 19, the film's has mad approximately $10.4 million so far. Directed by Denzel Washington, it stars Washington and newcomer Derek Luke. Along with Antwone Fisher, Sony Pictures finally gave a wide release to its R-rated dark comedy Adaptation, which entered the Top 10 on the bottom rung 10 with an ESTIMATED $2.9 million (+221%) at 560 theaters (+451 theaters; $5,179 per theater). Released originally on Dec. 6, this quirky look at Hollywood, following a screenwriter as he tries to adapt a novel about flowers into a movie, has made approximately $9.5 million so far. Directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, it stars Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper. OTHER WIDE RELEASES A few other critically acclaimed films that opened in limited theaters in December ventured onto more screens this weekend, including 25th Hour and Narc. Buena Vista's R-rated 25th Hour took in an ESTIMATED $2.7 million at 490 theaters (+485 theaters; $5,510 per theater). Since its opening Dec. 19, 25th Hour's cume is approximately $3.4 million. The film about a man's last 24 hours in New York City before going to jail is directed by Spike Lee and stars Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson. Paramount Pictures' R-rated Narc, a gritty look at undercover narcotics detectives in search of a cop-killer, churned up an ESTIMATED $2.7 million in 822 theaters (+816 theaters; $3,327 per theater). Since opening Dec. 20, its total box office take is approximately $3 million. Directed by Joe Carnahan, the film stars Ray Liotta and Jason Patric. WEEKEND COMPARISONS This weekend's top 12 films grossed $88.5 million, down less than 1 percent from the same weekend last year, which saw a total haul of $89.4 million. The top three films this time last year were New Line's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring with $16.2 million, followed by Universal's A Beautiful Mind with $15.2 million and Paramount's Orange County with $15 million. *Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc.
  • Just Married Review
    By: Kit Bowen January 10, 2003 7:06am EST
    Any marriage is going to have its ups and downs. But what if those "downs" start happening the minute you step off the altar? Such is the premise of Just Married as blue-collar radio traffic announcer Tom Leezak (Ashton Kutcher) meets rich free-spirited writer Sarah McNerney (Brittany Murphy) and after a whirlwind romance they decide to get hitched. Oh if it could be that easy. Their course to true love has several strikes against it and the rest of the movie is spent figuring out if they are going to make it or not. Strike No. 1: Sarah's well-to-do parents (whose nicknames for each other range from "Pee-Wee" to "Pussy") are completely appalled she's marrying "beneath her." Strike No. 2: Sarah's sophisticated rich ex-boyfriend Peter (Christian Kane) the one Daddy McNerney (David Rasche) favors wants Sarah back. Strike No. 3: after they get hitched anyway the two young marrieds' honeymoon in Italy quickly turns horrific. In fact it's so unbelievably awful--from their small yellow box posing as a rental car being pushed off a mountain cliff to the cockroaches crawling over them as they try to make love in a run-down Venice shack to said ex-boyfriend showing up to thwart all that is good--your only hope is that they don't kill each other before they can get the sucker annulled. Of course we don't really believe they'll break up do we? We know better. With any good old-fashioned romantic comedy the power of love wins out. Blech. It's not easy being relatively new faces in the film business and having a major feature film rest on your shoulders. Yet Kutcher and Murphy do their best with a formulaic script and some painful-looking physical comedy added in for good measure. It's evident the two click (so much so they became a real-life couple) so it's nice to wholeheartedly believe they are mad for one another. Their youthful appeal is about the only thing that saves the film from total drudge to be honest. Individually Kutcher gets to venture off from the one-note innocuously stupid guy he's played in movies such as Dude Where's My Car? and Fox's That '70s Show just a little to show some heartfelt moments especially when telling his new bride how much he loves her. To his credit he doesn't fail miserably at it. On the other hand Murphy who has the acting chops having handled meaty roles in dramas (Girl Interrupted) as well as comedies (Clueless) has nothing whatsoever to go on as Sarah. Clearly she must've been listening when her agent said "Do this movie! It'll be great for your career!" The rest of the cast blends in with Rasche being the only standout as Sarah's no-nonsense all-business millionaire dad. You might feel sorry for this movie being released the second week of January just after an enormous onslaught of Oscar-touted films if it wasn't for the fact that 20th Century Fox obviously timed it to capitalize on the youth audience in a field of so-called "boring old people movies." Just Married is just the ticket for young people. Kutcher has developed a following after the surprising hit movie Dude Where's My Car? and Murphy just made a splash with Eminem in 8 Mile. The film has the age group 16-24 written all over it. But come on folks even good intentions to capture a certain market can't make up for a downright silly movie. Director Shawn Levy whose credits include 'tween flick Big Fat Liar and Disney Channel's The Famous Jett Jackson handles Just Married pretty much like his previous--broad and wacky with very little substance. The best part of the movie is the very beginning when the two newlyweds walk off the plane fuming and one-upping each other. Ah married life. The irony is duly noted but then the film goes straight into a flashback sequence lapsing periodically between pratfalls saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and gushy professions of love. Chalk it up to bad judgment.
  • Box office analysis: March 10
    By: Martin Grove March 10, 2002 9:59am EST
    Time flew this weekend as The Time Machine soared into first place with $22.5 million, well beyond the $15 million launch Hollywood handicappers anticipated. We Were Soldiers retreated to second place with a still potent $14.4 million. All About the Benjamins kicked off strongly in third place with $10.1 million. Also driving the box office were 40 Days and 40 Nights, down 42 percent to fourth place with $7.1 million, and John Q in fifth place with a still impressive $6 million. Key films -- those grossing $500,000 or more -- did nearly $98 million, up 43 percent from $68 million last year. THE TOP TEN DreamWorks and Warner Bros.' PG-13 rated time travel fantasy drama The Time Machine landed atop the chart with a fantastic ESTIMATED $22.5 million at 2,944 theaters ($7,643 per theater). Time's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend. The film is being released domestically by DreamWorks and internationally by Warner Bros., which co-financed its production. Directed by Simon Wells, it stars Guy Pearce. "There were only a handful of movies released in the first half of March that ever grossed more than $20 million, so we're pretty happy about this," DreamWorks distribution head Jim Tharp said Sunday morning. "The tracking going into the weekend had indicated maybe a $15 million opening. So this is well above expectations based on tracking." Focusing on the film's audience composition, Tharp noted, "I think we got the sci-fi fans along with young males. An indicator of that is that in locations where school was out for spring break, there were extremely strong grosses coming out of those theaters. As spring break rolls throughout the country, the movie should hold pretty well and do well mid-week." Time is the latest film to perform strongly at the box office despite an unfriendly reception by the critics. "I think on any wide release, the reviews can either help a little or hurt a little, but it's not something that's drastic at all," Tharp said. "With limited release movies when you play upscale markets, then obviously they mean a lot. But on a wide release, reviews can help a little or hurt a little, but that's all." Paramount and Icon Productions' R rated Vietnam war drama We Were Soldiers slipped one peg to second place in its second week, but held very well with a still powerful ESTIMATED $14.4 million (-29%) at 3,143 theaters (theater count unchanged; ($4,598 per theater). Its cume is approximately $40.8 million. Written and directed by Randall Wallace, it stars Mel Gibson. "We're very happy with the hold on Soldiers," Paramount Distribution president Wayne Lewellen said Sunday morning. "We took a bigger drop on Friday. It was off 37 percent on Friday, but Saturday was only off 24 percent. I'm estimating today off 26 percent, but it could be a little better than that or a little more. "It's really strong. We know it's playing to an older audience and they just don't come out that strongly on Friday. We know the audience last week was a little older. 73 percent of the audience was over 25." Noting that Time Machine is playing to a much younger audience than Soldiers, Lewellen said, "They work very well together." Asked where Soldiers is heading, Lewellen noted, "If the picture holds at this level again this coming weekend, it could get into the $90-100 million range. That would be a multiple of five times the opening weekend ($20.2 million), which is really strong playability, which we do have on this picture." New Line's R rated urban appeal buddy comedy All About the Benjamins opened in second place to a muscular ESTIMATED $10.13 million at 1,505 theaters ($6,728 per theater). Directed by Kevin Bray, it stars Ice Cube and Mike Epps. "Benjamins is right where we figured it would be," New Line Distribution president David Tuckerman said Sunday morning. "We're very pleased. We've had a long association with Ice Cube and he's delivered for us once again. His last picture for us was Next Friday and he's got The Friday After Next at Thanksgiving for us." Miramax and Universal's R rated romantic comedy 40 Days and 40 Nights fell sharply in its second week, down two slots to fourth place with a less appealing ESTIMATED $7.1 million (-42%) at 2,399 theaters (+174 theaters; $2,959 per theater). Its cume is approximately $22.9 million. Directed by Michael Lehmann, it stars Josh Hartnett, Shannyn Sossamon and Maggie Gyllenhaal. New Line's PG-13 rated man-against-the-system drama John Q dropped two rungs to fifth place in its fourth week, still alive and well with an ESTIMATED $6.0 million (-30%) at 2,382 theaters (-74 theaters; $2,519 per theater). Its cume is approximately $59.1 million, heading for $70 million in domestic theaters. Directed by Nick Cassavetes, it stars Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, James Woods, Anne Heche, Kimberly Elise and Ray Liotta. "John Q is holding up very nicely," New Line's David Tuckerman said. "It's hit a nerve with the American public and they're enjoying the hell out of the movie!" Buena Vista/Disney's G rated animated Return to Never Land slid two notches to sixth place in its fourth week, still showing good legs with an ESTIMATED $4.7 million (-32%) at 2,498 theaters (-120 theaters; $1,869 per theater). Its cume is approximately $41.7 million. Universal and Spyglass Entertainment's PG-13 afterlife thriller Dragonfly fell two pegs to seventh place in its third week with a calmer ESTIMATED $4.06 million (-39%) at 2,431 theaters (-76 theaters; $1,670 per theater). Its cume is approximately $24.9 million. Directed by Tom Shadyac, it stars Kevin Costner. Universal, DreamWorks and Imagine Entertainment's PG-13 rated drama A Beautiful Mind -- which has eight Oscar nominations including best picture and saw director Ron Howard win the Directors Guild of America's award Saturday night -- held on to eighth place in its 12th week with a still solid ESTIMATED $3.91 million (-16%) at 1,795 theaters (-167 theaters; $2,180 per theater). Its cume is approximately $144.3 million, heading for $150 million-plus, depending on how well it does Oscar night. Directed by Ron Howard, the Brian Grazer production stars Russell Crowe, Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly. Universal's PG rated family comedy Big Fat Liar fell two rungs to ninth place in its fifth week with an OK ESTIMATED $3.43 million (-31%) at 2,074 theaters (-158 theaters; $1,655 per theater). Its cume is approximately $43.3 million. Directed by Shawn Levy, it stars Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti and Amanda Bynes. Liar, which was made for only about $15 million, should be very profitable for Universal. Rounding out the Top Ten again this week was New Line Cinema's PG-13 rated blockbuster The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, still holding well in its 12th week with an ESTIMATED $2.6 million (-22%) at 1,210 theaters (-93 theaters; $2,149 per theater). Its cume is approximately $291.1 million, heading for $300 million or more in domestic theaters, depending on how it performs Oscar night. Directed by Peter Jackson, Rings' ensemble cast is led by Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen. OTHER OPENINGS This weekend also saw the arrival of Paramount Classics' PG-13 rated comedy drama Festival in Cannes to an encouraging ESTIMATED $0.04 million at 6 theaters ($6,625 per theater). Written and directed by Henry Jaglom with additional writing by Victoria Foyt, it stars Anouk Aimee, Greta Scacchi, Maximilian Schell, Ron Silver and Zack Norman. SNEAK PREVIEWS There were no national sneak previews this weekend. EXPANSIONS On the expansion front this weekend Lions Gate Films' R rated drama Monster's Ball, which has two Oscar nominations, went wider in its 11th week with an okay ESTIMATED $1.65 million (-9%) at 696 theaters (+36 theaters; $2,365 per theater). Its cume is approximately $15.4 million. Directed by Marc Foster, it stars Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, Heath Ledger and Peter Boyle. USA Films' R rated whodunit Gosford Park, which has seven Oscar nominations including best picture and won the Writers Guild of America's best original screenplay award Saturday night, added a few more theaters in its 11th week, holding well with an ESTIMATED $1.6 million (-17%) at 918 theaters (+3 theater; $1,725 per theater). Its cume is approximately $33.2 million. Directed by Robert Altman and starring an extensive ensemble cast, it was written by Julian Fellowes and produced by Altman, Bob Balaban and David Levy. USA Films' R rated romantic comedy Monsoon Wedding added theaters in its third week with a still festive ESTIMATED $0.78 million at 76 theaters (+65 theaters; $10,250 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.2 million. Directed by Mira Nair, it was produced by Nair and Caroline Baron. "We opened in 12 new markets and the print average in those markets for 25 or 30 theaters is going to be around $13,000," USA Films distribution president Jack Foley said Sunday morning. "The picture's doing extremely well and we're very happy about it." Miramax Zoe Films' R rated French comedy Amélie widened in its 19th week with a quiet ESTIMATED $0.63 million (-1%) at 254 theaters (+12 theaters; $2,480 per theater. Its cume is approximately $28.8 million. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, it stars Audrey Tautou. Miramax's R rated romantic comedy Italian For Beginners widened in its eighth week to a still hopeful ESTIMATED $0.35 million at 79 theaters (+13 theaters; $4,430 per theater). Its cume is approximately $2.1 million. Directed by Lone Scherfig, it stars Anders Berthelsen. WEEKEND COMPARISONS Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $97.82 million, up about 43.31 percent from last year when they totaled $68.26 million. Key films for this three-day weekend were down about 2.29% from the previous weekend of this year's total of $100.11 million. Last year, DreamWorks' second week of The Mexican was first with $12.24 million at 2,959 theaters ($4,138 per theater); and New Line's opening week of 15 Minutes was second with $10.52 million at 2,337 theaters ($4,503 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $22.7 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $36.9 million.
  • Box office analysis: March 3
    By: Martin Grove March 03, 2002 9:39am EST
    Sex and violence prevailed at the box office this weekend as R rated films opened in the top two slots. Mel Gibson captured first place as We Were Soldiers invaded theaters and marched off with $20.2 million. 40 Days and 40 Nights kicked off in second place with a sexy $12.5 million, a less arousing arrival than the $15-20 million that Hollywood handicappers anticipated. Top Five ticket sales also got a boost from three holdovers. John Q was alive and well in third place with $8.5 million. Dragonfly was an okay fourth with $6.8 million. And Return to Never Land showed good legs in fifth place with $6.5 million. Key films--those grossing $500,000 or more--did nearly $98 million, up 18 percent from about $83 million last year. THE TOP TEN Paramount and Icon Productions' R rated Vietnam war drama We Were Soldiers blasted its way into first place with an energetic ESTIMATED $20.2 million at 3,143 theaters ($6,427 per theater). Written and directed by Randall Wallace, it stars Mel Gibson. We Were Soldiers' average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend. "It's the biggest gross for this weekend (beating last year's opening of) The Mexican with $20.1 million," Paramount Distribution president Wayne Lewellen said Sunday morning. "The exit polls were through the roof. The top two boxes were 91 percent--70 percent excellent and 21 percent very good. The definite recommend was 80 percent. The index score was an 89.4. It's the highest exit polls we've ever had (and suggests the film) should have a long run. That was sort of proven out by the bump that we got Saturday over Friday of 43 percent." Asked who was on hand opening weekend, Lewellen said, "The audience was a little older. 70 percent were over 25. It was 56 percent males and 44 percent females, which is really higher than we expected for the female audience (given the film's R rating and violence). So it bodes well for the playability of the picture." Miramax's R rated romantic comedy 40 Days and 40 Nights opened in second place to an engaging ESTIMATED $12.5 million at 2,225 theaters ($5,617 per theater). Hollywood handicappers had been anticipating a sexier launch in the $15-20 million range. Directed by Michael Lehmann, it stars Josh Hartnett, Shannyn Sossamon and Maggie Gyllenhaal. "We're very happy with the opening," Miramax senior vice president, marketing David Kaminow said Sunday morning. "It's another great partnership with Universal after last spring's Bridget Jones's Diary. The film played about 60 percent female, 40 percent male. (It was mostly) 17-34 with a concentration of 17-25. So it's definitely skewing young. "We're going to try and keep that audience strong and then expand this weekend in terms of trying to get a broader (demographic with) some of the older audience, as well -- some of the 25-34 year old date crowd, who may respond more to the fact that it's from the producers of Bridget Jones and Notting Hill and so we'll highlight some of the better reviews that we got. So that's the plan, moving forward. But we're real happy with this opening." New Line's PG-13 rated man-against-the-system drama John Q fell one rung to third place in its third week, continuing to show good legs with a robust ESTIMATED $8.4 million (-33%) at 2,456 theaters (-49 theaters; $3,420 per theater). Its cume is approximately $51.1 million. Directed by Nick Cassavetes, it stars Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, James Woods, Anne Heche, Kimberly Elise and Ray Liotta. "It's touched a nerve," New Line Distribution president David Tuckerman said Sunday. "I think (it's) the storyline about HMOs. Everybody's got their own horror story about an HMO. People relate to it in that way. They either know somebody who's had a bad experience or they've had one themselves." Asked where it's heading, Tuckerman said, "$70 million," pointing out that it wasn't an expensive production and "somewhere around $40 million I think we started to make money." Universal and Spyglass Entertainment's PG-13 afterlife thriller Dragonfly slid one notch to fourth place in its second week but held respectably with an ESTIMATED $6.81 million (-33%) at 2,507 theaters (theater count unchanged; $2,715 per theater). Its cume is approximately $19.4 million. Directed by Tom Shadyac, it stars Kevin Costner. Buena Vista/Disney's G rated animated Return to Never Land dropped one peg to fifth place in its third week, still holding very well with an ESTIMATED $6.5 million (-28%) at 2,618 theaters (-8 theaters; $2,470 per theater). Its cume is approximately $35.3 million. Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow's R rated vampire thriller Queen of the Damned plunged five rungs to sixth place in its second week with an anemic ESTIMATED $5.83 million (-61%) at 2,511 theaters (theater count unchanged; $2,320 per theater). Its cume is approximately $23.8 million. Directed by Michael Rymer, it stars Stuart Townsend and late recording artist Aaliyah. Universal's PG rated family comedy Big Fat Liar fell two rungs to seventh place in its fourth week, holding well with a still funny ESTIMATED $4.75 million (-25%) at 2,232 theaters (-205 theaters; $2,130 per theater). Its cume is approximately $38.8. Directed by Shawn Levy, it stars Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti and Amanda Bynes. Big Fat Liar, which was made for only about $15 million, should be very profitable for Universal. Universal, DreamWorks and Imagine Entertainment's PG-13 rated drama A Beautiful Mind, which has eight Oscar nominations including best picture and won the Writers Guild of America's best adapted screenplay award Saturday night, held on to seventh place in its 11th week with a still attractive ESTIMATED $4.41 million (-17%) at 1,962 theaters (-107 theaters; $2,245 per theater). Its cume is approximately $138.7 million, heading for $150 million-plus, depending on how well it does Oscar night. Directed by Ron Howard, the Brian Grazer production stars Russell Crowe, Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly. Paramount's PG-13 rated Britney Spears comedy Crossroads dropped four notches to eighth place in its third week with an unfunny ESTIMATED $4.04 million (-42%) at 2,301 theaters (-80 theaters; $1,754 per theater). Its cume is approximately $31.2 million. Directed by Tamra Davis, it stars Britney Spears. "I think it's going to push $40 million now," Paramount's Wayne Lewellen said, looking ahead to the film's likely domestic theatrical cume. "I had it (getting to) like the high $30 millions, but it held up a little better this weekend than I anticipated." Rounding out the Top Ten was New Line Cinema's PG-13 rated blockbuster The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, up two pegs in its 11th week with a still solid ESTIMATED $3.13 million (-10%) at 1,303 theaters (-207 theaters; $2,380 per theater). Its cume is approximately $287.4 million, heading for $300 million in domestic theaters. Directed by Peter Jackson, Rings' ensemble cast is led by Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen. "We're going to be in the low $290 millions before we get to Oscar weekend," New Line's David Tuckerman said. "Just hype alone should get us to $300 million. We're going back in the marketplace on Mar. 22 and then on Mar. 29--we've just revised our plan--we're going to add (something special at the conclusion of the film). "Peter Jackson has made a four minute preview--not a trailer--of (the next film in the Rings trilogy) The Two Towers (opening this December). He basically did it as a thank you to the fans. So we're going to switch out the last reel for Friday, Mar. 29. On Mar. 22 we're going to do a big push to get back into the theaters. I hope to get back to (around) 2,000. So we'll get ourselves through that weekend. If we win, that's great. If we don't win, we have a thank you for the fans on Mar. 29 (that will continue to play) until it leaves theaters." OTHER OPENINGS There were no other key openings this weekend. SNEAK PREVIEWS There were no national sneak previews this weekend. EXPANSIONS On the expansion front this weekend USA Films' R rated whodunit Gosford Park, which has seven Oscar nominations including best picture and won the Writers Guild of America's best original screenplay award Saturday night,, widened in its 10th week with an upbeat ESTIMATED $1.8 million (-10%) at 915 theaters (+94 theater; $1,976 per theater). Its cume is approximately $30.9 million. Directed by Robert Altman and starring an extensive ensemble cast, it was written by Julian Fellowes and produced by Altman, Bob Balaban and David Levy. "That's really good," USA Films distribution president Jack Foley said Sunday morning, referring to Gosford Park's ticket sales and Fellowes' WGA award. "We have Julian at ShoWest this week (where he's being honored at the annual convention of exhibitors and distributors as) the screenwriter of the year." Lions Gate Films' R rated drama Monster's Ball, which has two Oscar nominations, expanded quietly in its 10th week with an ESTIMATED $1.6 million (-22%) at 660 theaters (+106 theaters; $2,485 per theater). Its cume is approximately $13.0 million. Directed by Marc Foster, it stars Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, Heath Ledger and Peter Boyle. Miramax's R rated romantic comedy Italian For Beginners widened in its seventh week to a still hopeful ESTIMATED $0.35 million (+1%) at 66 theaters (+10 theaters; $5,303 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.6 million. Directed by Lone Scherfig, it stars Anders Berthelsen. USA Films' R rated romantic comedy Monsoon Wedding added theaters in its second week with a tasty ESTIMATED $0.2 million at 11 theaters (+9 theaters; $18,500 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.3 million. Directed by Mira Nair, it was produced by Nair and Caroline Baron. "It's wonderful," USA Films' Jack Foley said. "This is a little movie. We go into the next 12 big markets out there this weekend. It comes to around 30 additional screens." WEEKEND COMPARISONS Key films--those grossing more than $500,000--took in approximately $97.69 million, up about 18.14 percent from last year when they totaled $82.69 million. Key films for this three day weekend were down about 7.33% from the previous weekend of this year's total of $105.42 million. Last year, DreamWorks' opening week of The Mexican was first with $20.11 million at 2,951 theaters ($6,814 per theater); and MGM's fourth week of Hannibal was second with $10.05 million at 3,272 theaters ($3,072 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $30.2 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $32.7 million.
  • Box office analysis: Feb. 17
    By: Martin Grove February 24, 2002 10:04am EST
    Moviegoers celebrated Presidents Day weekend by voting Washington--Denzel Washington and John Q--into first place with $25 million. Also driving the crowded four day holiday weekend were lively openings for Crossroads with $17 million and Return to Never Land with $15 million-plus. Among holdovers, Big Fat Liar enjoyed nearly $12 million in family business, Collateral Damage slid 34 percent but still did close to $11 million and A Beautiful Mind did almost $10 million on the heels of its eight Oscar nominations. Also arriving were Hart's War to a less heartening $10 million and Super Troopers to an okay $7.5 million given its modest acquisition cost. Key films--those grossing $500,000 or more--did $161.5 million, up nearly 16 percent from last year's $139.7 million for four days. This year goes into the history books as Hollywood's biggest Presidents Day weekend ever, beating the record established last year. THE TOP TEN (NOTE: Today's estimates are for the four day period from Friday through Monday. Estimates for the three day weekend are indicated parenthetically. Percentage comparisons are to the previous three day weekend plus Monday, Feb. 11.) New Line's John Q captured first place at the holiday weekend box office with a record setting ESTIMATED $25.0 million at 2,466 theaters ($10,138 per theater). (Its estimated gross for three days was $20.63 million.) Despite a critical drubbing, John Q set a record for a Presidents Day weekend opening, beating the record set by New Line's The Wedding Singer of $21.92 million the weekend of Feb. 13-16, 1998. Over the years, however, a number of holdovers have done better than $25 million for Presidents Day weekend, including Hannibal with $33.5 million last year. John Q's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend. Directed by Nick Cassavetes, it stars Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, James Woods, Anne Heche, Kimberly Elise and Ray Liotta. "We're thrilled," New Line Distribution president David Tuckerman said Sunday. "The CinemaScores were all between A- and A+ across the board. The demographics look like they're 50-50 (male-female). The exit polls were 95 percent in the Top Two Boxes (excellent and very good). The definite recommend is 90 percent." Focusing on the film's largely negative reviews, Tuckerman noted, "We've had three movies in a row that the public really loved and the critics did not--Life As A House, I Am Sam and this one. The public really liked all three of these movies. This one is going to do business. The public likes the movie." Asked where John Q could be heading in domestic theaters, Tuckerman replied, "If you use a formula of three times (the opening weekend gross), it gets you to $75 million--although this is a four day (total and the formula might not be quite the same as with three day weekends). It's a little too early to say." Paramount's PG-13 rated youth appeal Britney Spears comedy Crossroads kicked off in second place to a high energy ESTIMATED $17.0 million at 2,380 theaters ($7,143 per theater). (Its estimated gross for three days was $14.6 million.) Directed by Tamra Davis, it stars Britney Spears. "We're happy with it," Paramount Distribution president Wayne Lewellen said Sunday morning. "Going in, I was looking for maybe $12 million or so for the three days and we're close to $15 million for three. It's playing across the board (in) large markets and small markets. The top grosses are out of the L.A. market, but then you've got some of the (other big) grosses coming out of places like Jacksonville, Chicago, San Francisco and even Canada's doing well with the picture. "The demo is primarily young females--about 84 percent young females and 67 percent of those are under 15. It's very young and female. We knew that's who it was. And they give it an excellent response, of course." Buena Vista/Disney's opening of its G rated animated Return to Never Land placed third with an enchanting ESTIMATED $15.55 million at 2,605 theaters ($5,970 per theater). (Its estimated gross for three days was $11.8 million.) Universal's PG rated family comedy Big Fat Liar dropped one notch to fourth place in its second week with a still happy ESTIMATED $11.87 million (-3%) at 2,534 theaters (+3 theaters; $4,685 per theater). Its cume is approximately $25.4 million, heading for $40-50 million in domestic theaters. (Its estimated gross for three days was $8.7 million.) Directed by Shawn Levy, it stars Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti and Amanda Bynes. Liar, which was made for only about $15 million, should be very profitable for Universal. "For this little niche family film to do this kind of business and be the number four film in the marketplace is absolutely incredible," Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco said Sunday morning. "We're just thrilled. There are other choices for (families to see). Return to Never Land is obviously younger kids. Crossroads is getting a young audience even though its PG-13. And Snow Dogs (is also playing to families). There's a lot for the family audience to choose from this weekend and Big Fat Liar was a major choice for them." Warner Bros. and Bel-Air Entertainment's R rated terrorist action adventure Collateral Damage slipped four pegs to fifth place in its second week with a less damaging ESTIMATED $10.55 million (-34%) at 2,824 theaters (theater count unchanged; $3,736 per theater). Its cume is approximately $30.0 million. (Its estimated gross for three days was $9.05 million.) Directed by Andrew Davis, it stars Arnold Schwarzenegger. MGM's R rated World War II drama Hart's War opened in sixth place to a quiet ESTIMATED $10.00 million at 2,459 theaters ($4,067 per theater). (Its estimated gross for three days was $8.27 million.) Directed by Gregory Hoblit, it stars Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell. Universal, DreamWorks and Imagine Entertainment's PG-13 rated drama A Beautiful Mind, which received eight Oscar nominations, held on to seventh place in its ninth week with an impressive ESTIMATED $9.86 million (+46%) at 2,081 theaters (-139 theaters; $4,740 per theater). Its cume is approximately $126.1 million, heading for $150 million-plus, depending on how well it does in terms of winning Oscars. (Its estimated gross for three days was $8.5 million.) Directed by Ron Howard, the Brian Grazer production stars Russell Crowe, Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly. "We're very, very pleased with the performance of this film," Universal's Nikki Rocco said. "You're never quite sure how a film that's already hit $100 million will perform after the nominations, but it's obvious that this picture has such high visibility with a broad audience that the numbers are just proving over and over again that this is a picture everyone is truly enamored with. I never expected a 46 percent increase for the four days. But it's quite obvious that the picture has incredible legs and is going to be around for a very long time." Rocco noted that A Beautiful Mind benefited from its eight Oscar nominations as well as "from a very strong marketplace." Revolution Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer Films' R rated drama Black Hawk Down, which was fourth last week, tied for eighth place in its eighth week of release via Columbia Pictures with a slower ESTIMATED $7.5 million (-12%) at 2,150 theaters (-814 theaters; $3,488 per theater). Its cume is approximately $96.5 million, heading for $115-120 million. (Its estimated gross for three days was $6.2 million.) Directed by Ridley Scott, it stars Josh Hartnett. "It should hit $100 million (by), perhaps, next Saturday," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing & distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning. Fox Searchlight Pictures' opening of its R rated comedy Super Troopers tied for eighth place with a happy ESTIMATED $7.5 million at 1,778 theaters ($4,218 per theater). (Its estimated gross for three days was $6.2 million.) Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, it stars Jay Chandrasekhar and Kevin Heffernan. "We had a fabulous opening," Fox Searchlight distribution president Stephen Gilula said Sunday morning. "For us, it's a terrific success. It's a film in which we have invested $3.25 million, so we're already out by this Tuesday. "This is not about us competing for a position in the market as far as being number one, two or three. We had a very specific goal to reach and we exceeded it and we're just thrilled in a very crowded market to do this business. We knew there was no comedy really aimed at the R rated college age young males and we nailed it and we're really pleased about that. It's very low budget and a very controlled marketing campaign on the film and it worked." Fox Searchlight bought the film at the Sundance Film Festival a year ago. "It's a very talented young comedy group called Broken Lizard who wrote it and act in it," Gilula said. "We're excited about the talent. It plays very well to that particular audience. Our investment is $3.25 million. So it's a very, very successful and profitable venture for us. As the numbers project out, we're going to have a tremendous afterlife for this film. And we own it for the world." Rounding out the Top Ten was Buena Vista/Disney's PG rated family comedy Snow Dogs, down five slots in its sixth week with a less energetic ESTIMATED $6.7 million (-12%) at 2,286 theaters (-168 theaters; $2,930 per theater). Its cume is approximately $68.1 million, heading for $75 million or more. (Its estimated gross for three days was $5.8 million.) Directed by Brian Levant, it stars Cuba Gooding Jr. and James Coburn. OTHER OPENINGS This weekend saw no other arrivals of key films. SNEAK PREVIEWS There were no national sneak previews this weekend. EXPANSIONS On the expansion front this weekend Lions Gate Films' R rated drama Monster's Ball, which received two Oscar nominations, widened in its eighth week with a solid ESTIMATED $3.2 million (+29%) at 473 theaters (+131 theaters; $6,850 per theater). Its cume is approximately $8.1 million. Directed by Marc Foster, it stars Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, Heath Ledger and Peter Boyle. Miramax's R rated drama In the Bedroom, which received five Oscar nominations, expanded in its 13th week with a still hopeful ESTIMATED $3.12 million (+70%) at 1,002 theaters (+265 theaters; $3,110 per theater. Its cume is approximately $23.2 million. Directed by Todd Field, it stars Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson, Nick Stahl and Marisa Tomei. USA Films' R rated whodunit Gosford Park, which received seven Oscar nominations, added another theater in its eighth week with an okay ESTIMATED $2.8 million (+40%) at 837 theaters (+1 theater; $3,390 per theater). Its cume is approximately $25.8 million. Directed by Robert Altman and starring an extensive ensemble cast, it was written by Julian Fellowes and produced by Altman, Bob Balaban and David Levy. Miramax's R rated romantic comedy Italian For Beginners widened in its fifth week to a still promising ESTIMATED $0.2 million at 22 theaters (+7 theaters; $9,455 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.7 million. Directed by Lone Scherfig, it stars Anders Berthelsen. Fine Line's R rated drama Storytelling added a few theaters in its fourth week to an unexciting ESTIMATED $0.16 million at 40 theaters (+2 theaters; $3,915 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.6 million. Written and directed by Todd Solondz, it stars Selma Blair and Robert Wisdom. INTERNATIONAL Universal's international division reported that A Beautiful Mind got off to an excellent start internationally this weekend. The Universal/Dreamworks co-production from Imagine Entertainment is being distributed internationally by UIP for DreamWorks while Universal is releasing it domestically. A Beautiful Mind film opened this weekend in France, Brazil, Belgium, Israel and Finland. In France, A Beautiful Mind grossed $0.14 million at 334 theaters on opening day. Universal said its weekend grosses will be available on Monday. In Brazil, A Beautiful Mind opened in first place with an ESTIMATED two day gross of $0.48 million with 150 playdates. Spy Game, in its fourth weekend in Australia, held there in eighth place with $0.19 million at 194 theaters. Its cume after 25 days is $3 million. Including its release in Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland, Universal's international cume for the film is $5.5 million. Spy Game, which is in its 12th week of overall international release, has a combined international total for Universal and other distributors of $63 million. American Pie 2 continued at 106 theaters in Mexico in its sixth week, where its cume is now $5.2 million. American Pie 2, which is still in release in several countries, has an international cume of $138 million. WEEKEND COMPARISONS Key films--those grossing more than $500,000--took in approximately $161.47 million, up about 15.6 percent from last year when they totaled $139.68 million. Key films for the four day holiday weekend cannot be compared to the previous weekend of this year, which was a normal three day weekend. Last year, MGM's second week of Hannibal was first with $33.5 million at 3,238 theaters ($10,346 per theater); and Paramount's opening week of Down to Earth was second with $20.03 million at 2,521 theaters ($7,944 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $53.5 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $42.0 million.
  • Box office analysis: Feb. 24
    By: Martin Grove February 24, 2002 10:03am EST
    The Queen of the Damned was king of the box office with a royal opening of $15.2 million. Also driving the weekend were John Q, transplanted to second place with $12.5 million, and Dragonfly buzzing in third place with $10.4 million. Families continued turning out for Return to Never Land, which finished fourth with $9.0 million. But fewer fans flocked to Britney Spears' Crossroads, which plunged 51 percent to fifth place with $7.1 million. Key films -- those grossing $500,000 or more -- did about $106 million, up nearly 27 percent from last year's $83.8 million. THE TOP TEN (NOTE: Today's percentage comparisons are against the three day -- Friday to Sunday -- portion of last week's four day holiday period.) Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow's R rated vampire thriller The Queen of the Damned kicked off in first place with a bloody good ESTIMATED $15.16 million at 2,511 theaters ($6,035 per theater). Queen's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend. Directed by Michael Rymer, it stars Stuart Townsend and the late recording artist Aaliyah. "It's the largest three day February opening in our company's history," Warner Bros. Distribution president Dan Fellman said Sunday morning. Warners' previous February record, he said, was "$15.057 million a couple of weeks ago with Collateral Damage. And A Walk to Remember was the largest January opening we ever had (with $12.18 million the weekend of Jan. 25-27). So we've opened three movies (in a row) and we've been very effective with all three. And we're very optimistic about Showtime, which is coming up on Mar. 15 (an action comedy directed by Tom Dey and starring Robert De Niro, Eddie Murphy and Rene Russo)." Focusing on Queen's strong arrival, Fellman said, "We're thrilled about it. The audience was predominantly ethnic. It was about 33 percent females under the age of 25 drawn to the movie by their loyalty, a little curiosity and a desire to see Aaliyah on the big screen, which they did and they liked it." New Line's John Q slid one slot to second place in its second week with a still healthy ESTIMATED $12.53 million (-38%) at 2,505 theaters (+39 theaters; $5,400 per theater). Its cume is approximately $41.1 million, heading for $70-75 million in domestic theaters. Directed by Nick Cassavetes, it stars Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, James Woods, Anne Heche, Kimberly Elise and Ray Liotta. "I think the hold's terrific," New Line Distribution president David Tuckerman said Sunday. "It shows that the exit polling and the CinemaScores were (right). We're just happy campers." Universal and Spyglass Entertainment's PG-13 afterlife thriller Dragonfly winged into third place with an okay ESTIMATED $10.39 million at 2,507 theaters ($4,145 per theater). Directed by Tom Shadyac, it stars Kevin Costner. "Considering that it's a departure for Tom Shadyac -- something other than the big comedies that he's done -- he obviously acquitted himself nicely here. The picture plays very, very well, especially to women -- to young women, to older women. And we hope it will be around for a while," Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco said Sunday morning. Buena Vista/Disney's G rated animated Return to Never Land fell one peg to fourth place in its second week, holding well with an ESTIMATED $9.0 million (-25%) at 2,626 theaters (+21 theaters; $3,414 per theater). Its cume is approximately $27.2 million. Paramount's PG-13 rated comedy Crossroads dropped three notches to fifth place in its second week with a less funny ESTIMATED $7.1 million (-51%) at 2,381 theaters (+1 theater; $2,982 per theater). Its cume is approximately $26.3 million. Directed by Tamra Davis, it stars Britney Spears. "Frankly, it's not unexpected," Paramount Distribution president Wayne Lewellen said Sunday morning. "It's pretty much where I thought it would be coming off the holiday weekend. Any time you have a movie that appeals to a young group like this they show up en masse right away." Asked where it's heading in domestic theaters, Lewellen replied, "It's maybe $40 million. It'll be profitable given the cost of the film. It's only a $10-12 million production. We had a lot of partners in it. We won't make a lot of upside, but we will make a nice profit on it." Universal's PG rated family comedy Big Fat Liar fell two rungs to sixth place in its third week, still showing good legs with an ESTIMATED $6.74 million (-23%) at 2,437 theaters (-97 theaters; $2,765 per theater). Its cume is approximately $33.6 Directed by Shawn Levy, it stars Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti and Amanda Bynes. Liar, which was made for only about $15 million, should be very profitable for Universal. Universal, DreamWorks and Imagine Entertainment's PG-13 rated drama A Beautiful Mind, which received eight Oscar nominations, held on to seventh place in its 10th week with a still solid ESTIMATED $5.26 million (-35%) at 2,089 theaters (-12 theaters; $2,540 per theater). Its cume is approximately $132.6 million, heading for $150 million-plus, depending on how well it does Oscar night. Directed by Ron Howard, the Brian Grazer production stars Russell Crowe, Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly. "It continues to be strong, as we predicted ," Universal's Nikki Rocco said. "We know for the next couple of weeks it's just a wait-and-see for the Academy Awards." MGM's R rated World War II drama Hart's War dipped three spots in its second week to a dull ESTIMATED $4.55 million (-41%) at 2,459 theaters (theater count unchanged; $1,851 per theater). Its cume is approximately $13.9 million. Directed by Gregory Hoblit, it stars Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell. Fox Searchlight Pictures' R rated comedy Super Troopers showed good second week legs, holding on to ninth place with an ESTIMATED $3.91 million (-37%) at 1,805 theaters (+25 theaters; $2,166 per theater). Its cume is approximately $12.5 million. Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, it stars andrasekhar and Kevin Heffernan. "It's an excellent result and we're very pleased with it," Fox Searchlight distribution president Stephen Gilula said Sunday morning. Searchlight picked up Troopers for only $3.25 million at last year's Sundance Film Festival, making it a nicely profitable release for the studio. Warner Bros. and Bel-Air Entertainment's R rated terrorist action adventure Collateral Damage, which was fifth last week, tied for tenth place in its third week with a slow ESTIMATED $3.73 million (-56%) at 2,410 theaters (-414 theaters; $1,548 per theater). Its cume is approximately $34.5 million. Directed by Andrew Davis, it stars Arnold Schwarzenegger. Revolution Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer Films' R rated drama Black Hawk Down, which was eighth last week, tied for tenth place in its ninth week of release via Columbia Pictures with a calm ESTIMATED $3.7 million (-41%) at 1,802 theaters (-348 theaters; $2,053 per theater). Its cume is approximately $101.4 million, heading for $115-120 million. Hawk hit the $100 million mark Saturday night. Directed by Ridley Scott -- a best director Oscar nominee and also a Directors Guild nominee -- it stars Josh Hartnett. OTHER OPENINGS This weekend also saw the arrival of USA Films' R rated romantic comedy Monsoon Wedding with a spicy ESTIMATED $0.068 million at 2 theaters in New York ($34,096 per theater). Directed by Mira Nair, it was produced by Nair and Caroline Baron. Paramount Classics' R rated soccer comedy Mean Machine kicked off to a nasty ESTIMATED $0.018 million at 6 theaters ($3,081 per theater). Directed by Barry Skolnick, it stars Vinnie Jones. SNEAK PREVIEWS This weekend saw Miramax hold sneak previews Saturday night of its R rated romantic comedy 40 Days and 40 Nights. Directed by Michael Lehmann, it stars Josh Hartnett, Shannyn Sossamon and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Miramax did not provide any details about the sneaks and other distribution executives said they had no sense of how the film's sneaks went. 40 Days opens this Friday (Mar. 1) at 1,500-plus theaters. EXPANSIONS On the expansion front this weekend Miramax's R rated drama In the Bedroom, which received five Oscar nominations, widened quietly in its 14th week with an ESTIMATED $2.35 million (-11%) at 1,103 theaters (+101 theaters; $2,130 per theater. Its cume is approximately $26.3 million. Directed by Todd Field, it stars Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson, Nick Stahl and Marisa Tomei. Lions Gate Films' R rated drama Monster's Ball, which received two Oscar nominations, expanded in its ninth week with an okay ESTIMATED $2.0 million (-27%) at 553 theaters (+80 theaters; $3,615 per theater). Its cume is approximately $10.7 million. Directed by Marc Forster, it stars Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, Heath Ledger and Peter Boyle. Miramax's R rated romantic comedy Italian for Beginners widened in its sixth week to a hopeful ESTIMATED $0.35 million at 56 theaters (+34 theaters; $6,160 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.1 million. Directed by Lone Scherfig, it stars Anders Berthelsen. INTERNATIONAL Universal's international division reported that A Beautiful Mind opened in 10 more countries this weekend, including the U.K., Spain and Argentina. The Universal/ DreamWorks co-production from Imagine Entertainment is being distributed internationally by UIP for DreamWorks. Universal is releasing the film domestically. In the U.K. Mind opened with a platform release of 22 playdates, grossing $0.18 million for two days. The film expands to a wide release at approximately 300 theaters next week. In Spain, Mind grossed $0.83 million on 200 playdates. It ranked second to Monsters, Inc. in its second weekend with $1.1 million on 300 playdates, and was ahead of the opening of Black Hawk Down with $0.45 million at 270 theaters. In Argentina, Mind grossed $0.18 million on 50 playdates and ranked third, just behind Lord of the Rings with $0.19 million on 100 playdates. In its second weekend in Brazil, Mind was second to the opening of Ocean's Eleven. Mind grossed an estimated $0.37 on 175 playdates, bringing its cume for 9 days to $1.5 million. WEEKEND COMPARISONS Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $106.11 million, up about 26.69 percent from last year when they totaled $83.75 million. Key films for this three day weekend cannot be compared to the previous weekend of this year, which was a four day holiday weekend. Last year, MGM's third week of Hannibal was first with $15.77 million at 3,292 theaters ($4,789 per theater); and Paramount's second week of Down to Earth was second with $11.21 million at 2,521 theaters ($4,447 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $27.0 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $27.7 million.
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